Landlord and Tenant - As enacted, prohibits certain persons from publishing, transmitting, or broadcasting any video of the service of civil process related to an eviction proceeding without the express written permissio, the official text

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                              PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 657

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 1993

                                                              By Lamar

                                           Substituted for: House Bill No. 2041

                          By Parkinson, Camper, Clemmons, White, McCalmon, Sparks

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 13; Title 29 and Title 66, relative to evictions.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

          SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 29, Chapter 18, is amended by adding the
following as a new section:

                    (a) As used in this section:

                              (1) "Civil process related to an eviction proceeding" includes an eviction
                    notice, a judgment of possession, and a writ of possession; and

                              (2) "Participant in an eviction process" means a private entity or person who is
                    serving or executing civil process related to an eviction proceeding or a person
                    affiliated with a private entity or person who is serving or executing civil process
                    related to an eviction proceeding, and does not include a law enforcement officer
                    serving or executing civil process related to an eviction proceeding while engaged in
                    the law enforcement officer's official duties.

                    (b) Notwithstanding title 39, chapter 13, part 6 to the contrary and unless authorized
          by a court order, a participant in an eviction process is prohibited from publishing,
          transmitting, or broadcasting, in real-time or near real-time, in a manner that is accessible to
          the public, any video of the service or execution of civil process related to an eviction
          proceeding upon an individual without the express written permission of the individual if the
          publishing, transmitting, or broadcasting is for any purpose other than legal documentation of
          the service or execution of the civil process.

                    (c)(1) An individual who is a victim of a violation of subsection (b) has a private right
                    of action against the person who violates subsection (b).

                              (2) A court may award a victim of a violation of subsection (b) who prevails in
                    an action under this subsection (c):

                                        (A) A minimum of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) in statutory
                              damages per intentional violation of subsection (b);

                                        (8) Actual damages;

                                        (C) Punitive damages, pursuant to§ 29-39-104;

                                        (D) Other forms of equitable relief; and

                                        (E) Reasonable costs and attorney fees.

                    (d) The prohibition in subsection (b) does not apply to a participant in an eviction
          process who publishes, transmits, or broadcasts, in real-time or near real-time, a video of the
          service or execution of civil process related to an eviction proceeding to the following, or the
          following's designees:
SB 1993
                              (1) The landlord in the eviction proceeding;
                              (2) The property owner in the eviction proceeding;
                              (3) Counsel for the landlord or property owner;
                              (4) A law enforcement agency;
                              (5) The court with jurisdiction over the eviction proceeding; or
                              (6) The property management company for the property in the eviction

                    proceeding.
          SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.

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         SENATE BILL NO. 1993

PASSED:  March 16, 2026

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                                            RAND'/
                        \

                                      SPEAKER OF Tl-i

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                         CAMER1'1'fSEXTON,SPEAKER

                         HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

/'.lpt,·I APPROVED this f"SI- day of      2026

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                      BILL LEE, GOVERNOR